Ladder platform



' y 25, 1967 w. J. HORNUNG 3,332,514

LADDER PLATFORM Filed Jan. 14, 1966 INVENTOR WILLIAM J. HORNUNG M AW/ iATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,332,514 LADDER PLATFORM William J.Hornung, 518 Walnut St., Ashland, Pa. 17921 Filed Jan. 14, 1966, Ser.No. 520,764 4 Claims. (Cl. 182-122) This invention relates toimprovements in ladder platforms of the type used for attachment to aladder.

For people who have to work for considerable periods of time whilestanding on ladders (such as painters and other workmen), the advantagesof ladder platforms are apparent. Such platforms enable these workmen tohave a wider latitude of area and prevent physical discomforts whichoften accompany standing on a rounded rung for long periods of time.Ladder platforms can also be used to support scaffolds when there areadjacent ladders supporting platforms at the same level.

Ladder platforms in general are known in the art. However, the knownladder platforms leave much to be desired in providing the requisitefeatures of high weight capacity, large platform area, lightweight, andsafety.

This invention provides a ladder platform which is light enough inweight that it may be easily held and moved 7 from place to place by aworkman using one hand. The platform can be assembled while the ladderis erected or on the ground and the platform has a great weight capacitybecause of a bracing arrangement where the weight applied to theplatform is braced against the rails of a ladder and not against therungs of a ladder. This additional weight capacity is also a safetyfeature as is a platform extension which extends on the opposite side ofa rung of a ladder enabling weight to be placed on both sides of therung without tilting or upsetting the platform. The platform can alsoslide to one side of the ladder so that it can be passed by one climbingthe ladder or it can be easily removed.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the followingdescription and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which disclose by way of example, the principle of the invention and thebest mode which has been contemplated of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the ladder platform of this inventionshowing it assembled to a ladder; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the ladder platform of thisinvention as assembled on a ladder.

In the drawings, ladder platform 10 of this invention is shown assembledon a ladder 12 which is illustrated in phantom lines. Ladder 12 is aconventional ladder including a pair of parallel spaced side rails 14and 16 and a plurality of cross rungs, such as those illustrated at 18and 20. In ordinary ladder construction the side rails 14 and 16 areconventionally heavier and have much greater load bearing capacity thando the individual rungs, such as rungs 18 and 20.

The ladder platform 10 includes a platform supporting framework 22formed of side angle irons 24 and 26 and a suitable front crosspiece 28.Rigidly attached to the platform supporting framework is a bracingframework 30, including angle irons 32 and 34 secured together bysuitable bolts or rivets 36 and secured to the platform supportingframework 22 by similar bolts, rivets or the like, 38 and 40.

The platform supporting framework 22 carries on its upper surface a loadsupporting platform 42 for a user to stand on. This platform may beformed of wood pieces 44 and 46 and the entire platform including thewood pieces and supporting framework is of less width than the spacedapart ladder rails 14 and 16. The spacing of the platform 44 and 46leaves a gap 48 which may conven- 3,332,514 Patented July 25, 1967iently be used as a hand hold for a workman or other user to carry theladder platform in one hand. Of course, other suitable hand holdingarrangements may be utilized.

The platform 42 includes a platform extension 50 adjacent the platformpiece 46. As shown in FIG. 1, the platform extension is wider than theother portions of the platform and is such a width that it is greaterthan the spacing between the ladder side rails 14 and 16. In this mannerthe front edge 51 of the platform extension 50 hooks behind the siderails 14 and -16 of ladder 12 when it is erected.

Secured to the underside of the platform supporting framework 22 is arung stop member 52. This rung stop member is positioned in front of theplatform extension 50 suflicient distance to enable it to engage rung 18on the front side thereof, as shown in FIGS. 1 and Secured to the lowerend of the bracing framework 30 is a rail bearing cross member 54 havinga width as shown in FIG. 1 somewhat greater than the spacing between theladder rails 14 and 16, so that this member may bear against the railsof the ladder when the platform is in use.

Attached to the rail bearing cross member 54 is a hook 56 for hookingaround the backside of rung 20. Hook 56 may be attached to member 54 bymeans of a bolt 58 and wing nut 60, or any other suitable arrangement.

The platform extension 50 may also be provided with a safety stop orguide 62 attached to one end thereof. In the embodiment illustrated,safety stop 62 is attached to the end of extension 50, which extends alesser distance from the side of platform piece 46 than the other end ofplatform extension 50. This prevents the ladder platform from beingdislodged from its erected posit-ion as it is slid from side to side ifthe extension to which the safety guide is attached is not sufficientlywide.

In use of the ladder platform, it may either be attached to a ladder 12while the ladder is on the ground before it is erected, or it may becarried up a ladder by a workman and, by turning the platform extension50 at an angle, can be assembled on the ladder with the platformextension 50 behind the rails of the ladder with the edge 51 bearingagainst the back of the rails of the ladder, the rung stop member 52positioned in front of rung 18 and the cross bearing member 54 bearingagainst the front of the rails of the ladder. H-ook 56 can be hookedover the lower rung 20. In use, when a person is standing on the ladderplatform, especially on the outer portion such as piece 46, force willbe applied to the front side of both ladder rails 14 and 16 by hearingmember 54 and to the backside of the ladder rails by extension 50 whereit bears against the rails at its front edge 51. Little of the totalweight will be borne by rung 18. Since a person standing on the platformcan move around as desired, if the greater weight is applied to platformextension 50, a moment will be created about rung 18 tending to dislodgethe ladder platform, but this is prevented by hook 56 hooking around thebackside of rung 20. In case wide ladders are used, the safety stop 62prevents the platform from falling off of the ladder.

The device can be conveniently constructed with the platform and railbearing cross member and rung stop of wood and the other components ofmetal angle irons secured together with conventional fasteners. Thisprovides a lightweight device having a great load bearing capacity.Further, one can stand anywhere on the device Without tipping it overand the surface includes portions of the platform on both sides of itssupport by the top rung 18. Since a good portion of the weight appliedin normal use of'the ladder platform is borne by the ladder railsinstead of the rungs and since the rails are stronger than the rungs,the platform provides extra load bearing capacity and a bonus safetyfeature.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. A ladder platform for attachment to a ladder, the ladder comprising:a rigid platform surface having a front major portion thereof of lesswidth than the distance between the ladder rails and having a rearextension thereof of greater width than the ladder rails, the rearextension of the platform surface being located on the opposite side ofthe ladder from the major portion of the platform so as to bear againstthe rear surface of the rails and provide a weight supporting platformsurface on both sides of the ladder, a rung stop member secured to theunderside of said front major portion of the platform and spaced fromthe rear extension a sufficient distance to engage a rung while saidrear extension engages the rear surface of the rails, and a rail bearingmember having a width greater than the distance between the rails andattached to the underside of said major portion of the platform by adownwardly extending bracing framework.

2. A ladder platform as defined in claim 1 further including a guidemember extending from one end of the platform extension in the directionof the rung stop member.

3. A ladder platform as defined in claim 1 further including a singlespacing between two pieces at the front end of the platform sufficientfor placing the hand therethrough for grasping one piece of theplatform.

4. A ladder platform as defined in claim 1 wherein the rail bearingmember has attached thereto a single hook and bolt device extending inthe direction of the platform extension so as to hook over a ladder rungand prevent tilting of the platform.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,423,725 7/ 1922 Mohr 182-1201,820,315 8/1931 Miller 182-122 2,439,185 4/1948 Patt 182-121 2,804,3558/1957 Bartley 182-120 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

1. A LADDER PLATFORM FOR ATTACHMENT TO A LADDER, THE LADDER COMPRISING:A RIGID PLATFORM SURFACE HAVING A FRONT MAJOR PORTION THEREOF OF LESSWIDTH THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LADDER RAILS AND HAVING A REAREXTENSION THEREOF OF GREATER WIDTH THAN THE LADDER RAILS, THE REAREXTENSION OF THE PLATFORM SURFACE BEING LOCATED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OFTHE LADDER FROM THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE PLATFORM SO AS TO BEAR AGAINSTTHE REAR SURFACE OF THE RAILS AND PROVIDE A WEIGHT SUPPORTING PLATFORMSURFACE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE LADDER, A RUNG STOP MEMBER SECURED TO THEUNDERSIDE OF SAID FRONT MAJOR PORTION OF THE PLATFORM AND SPACED FROMTHE REAR EXTENSION A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO ENGAGE A RUNG WHILE SAIDREAR EXTENSION ENGAGES THE REAR SURFACE OF THE RAILS, AND A RAIL BEARINGMEMBER HAVING A WIDTH GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE RAILS ANDATTACHED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID MAJOR PORTION OF THE PLATFORM BY ADOWNWARDLY EXTENDING BRACING FRAMEWORK.